Top five political takeaways in South Africa today

Former South African President Jacob Zuma in the dock at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)

Former South African President Jacob Zuma in the dock at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Sep 23, 2021

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1. Zuma must wait

FORMER president Jacob Zuma will have to wait for at least a month to know if his application to force the National Prosecution Authority’s advocate, Billy Downer SC out of his corruption trial is successful or not.

Zuma’s legal team resumed their case before Judge Piet Koen in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg contesting NPA representative counsel Wim Trengove’s arguments against the former president.

2. Gauteng judges not bullied by Judge John Hlophe

Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe’s move to have his colleagues in Gauteng not hear the review application for the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) decision was dismissed this week.

Hlophe stated in his application that Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo was one of the commissioners who upheld the gross misconduct finding against him. His application also sought to stop President Cyril Ramaphosa from suspending him.

3. Mandla Mandela speaks out against Israel

Former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, wants South Africa to expel the Israeli ambassador and charge South Africans serving in Israel’s army with war crimes.

Mandela has backed the call by International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor and the South African government to rescind “apartheid Israel's” observer status at the African Union.

4. PAC still can't find a leader

The PAC is still fighting over who their true leader is, as the party is about to engage in another bruising factional battle. Last month the North Gauteng High Court declared Mzwanele Nyhontso as the PAC’s lawful leader. However, a faction led by Narius Moloto says they have now taken this matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Deputy secretary-general of the Moloto faction, Kodisang Bokaba, said that Moloto was the rightful leader as he was elected at the Bloemfontein congress on August 29 and 30 in 2019.

5. DA keeping tabs on the IEC

The DA is keeping close tabs on the Electoral Commission (IEC) after leader John Steenhuisen said on Thursday that the party was required to keep an “eagle eye” on processes within the commission.

The DA also slammed the commission after it announced the reopening of candidate registrations, as well as during the voter registration weekend after its electronic registration system experienced difficulties in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Political Bureau